Families and Friends gets new name, same mission

TULALIP -- More than 400 people gathered here Wednesday morning for the annual "Voices of Victims" breakfast, a fundraiser that helps keep the doors open for the volunteer organization that focuses on helping people hurting because of violent crime in Washington.

The group, based in Everett, has been working with crime victims for 38 years as Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims, its legal name as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

On Wednesday, executive director Marge Martin, announced that the group is getting a new, shorter name: Victim Support Services.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg said that people working for the organization bring healing to the community.

Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Roe, who serves on the group's board, said that in the past year alone, the organization has provided 5,998 hours of advocacy support to crime victims; served 2,876 people in outreach services and answered more than 1,000 calls to its 24-hour crisis line.

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